Mate
- A Social Experience.
Once you have arrived in the beautiful Austral country of Argentina, you will be welcomed by the diversity of its people and richness of its culture.
From the bustle of Buenos Aires to the earthen rich quiet roads that cut across its city, you can always count on a friendly face and a wonderful offering of their most traditional drink, Mate. Mate, is a very unique infusion, which Argentineans drink from little gourd receptacles (Mate) that come in many different shapes and colors and is sipped through a metallic straw called a "bombilla". Mate is made from the leaves of the Yerba Mate plant, soaked in hot water and sipped as tea. Most important to recognize, is the "social experience" that surrounds Mate.
Throughout your travels, you will always see people drinking and sharing their Mate. From highways, to dirt roads, at the beach, or just at their door steps with friends and neighbors, Mate will inevitably be part of the scene. Amusingly so, at gas stations, you can even find vending machines that sell hot water and Yerba Mate to re-fill your thermos for those extensive rides.
If you are asked to join an Argentine for Mate, be sure to accept. It will only lead to great conversation, great food and a long relationship to come.
